By Harold Brutlag
The brilliant moon Aug. 30th was called a blue moon because it was the second full moon in August. Separation in the curtains in my bedroom really lit up the room, almost to the point where I couldn’t get to sleep.
The Gophers pulled out a winner Thursday night when they played Nebraska. Big Red has been down for a few years but are making a comeback with a new coach. The Gophers played a good game and needed a great pass in the closing seconds and a long field goal to win.
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Highlights from the finals week of the State baseball tournament.
“On one side of the 2023 bracket, perennial contenders Jordan and Delano, seemingly on a collision course. On the other side, 2022 state finalists Nisswa and Buckman, coming head to head once again in the quarterfinal round.
Maple Lake won 3-0 over Jordan in quarter fnals of the State Amateur Baseball Tournament to avenge a earlier state tournament defeat several years ago. The Lakers battled the Brewers for seven innings before Ben Clapp hit a double and Hunter Malachek walked. Donnie Mavencamp saved the day with a hit that scored the two baserunners and himself for a 3-0 lead.
Draftee pitcher Jordan Flick pitched a shut-out and set the Brewers down in the top of the 9th for the win.
Earlier in the day Delano lost to Bluffton, a spot in the road between Wadena and New York Mills, but big on baseball. Bluffton pitched a draftee from Sebeka while Delano used Adrian Eastman, a draftee from Litchfield.
In earlier games they used Max Otto, their ace, in a 4-0 win over Spring Hill and in a 6-2 win over Elrosa.
Sunday’s early morning game, 11:00 a.m., was played in less than two hours with neither team mounting much of an offense. Bluffton struck first in the fourth inning when they scored a run on two hits which was the margin of victory for Bluffton. Delano’s hitters could muster only 4 hits in the shut out.
Maple Lake defeated Cinderella Bluffton 8-6 in the semi finals in their second game on Sunday at Delano.
Maple Lake used draftee Gruenhagen, Cokato Kernels, who gave up six runs on 7 hits and two errors. Bluffton and Maple Lake each scored a run in the first and third inning. The Lakers went ahead 3-2 in the fourth. they added three more in the sixth inning on Ben Clapp’s moon shot scoring Logan Orazem, who stole second, and Luke Fobbe for 3 rbis.